As we speak there's a spouting, breaching, vocalizing superhighway of whales off the California coast. Epicureans might be disappointed it's led to a delay in the crab season, as the roving creatures can get tangled up in trap lines. But on the bright side it's created fantastic opportunities for whale-watching, with encounters visible from the shore if you know where to look.
"It's crazy – there's plenty of activity. I was just in Tiburon and a humpback whale came right into Raccoon Strait (inside the Bay), a couple hundred feet away," says Bill Keener, a cetacean research biologist at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito.
Abnormally cold waters have led to an abundance of krill and anchovies (so much so that fish have rained from the sky). Following the food and their massive appetites are humpback whales, pushing off the coast and sometimes through the Golden Gate. In fact, the Golden Gate Bridge right now is a decent place for whale-watching; if it doesn't pan out you're at least likely to see some pinnipeds.
For folks who want to head out to observe the whales, here are some of Keener's favorite spots. To maximize your chances "binoculars are a must," says Keener. Also, try to head out at high tide or when the tides are strongly incoming, the times of which are predicted at NOAA. "I think they use the flooding tide or incoming tide to ride in toward the coast farther, and often use outgoing tides on the way out," says Keener. Finally, when you spot a whale don't forget to report it to the Marine Mammal Center for its research.
Pacifica
"I can tell you that recently the Pacifica (Municipal) Pier has been good," says Keener.
Fort Funston
"On a cliff where the hang-glider port is, in very southern San Francisco."
Lands End
"A very good spot, it looks out onto the Golden Gate area."
Marin Headlands
"Point Bonita can be good."
Point Reyes
"Point Reyes is always good because it's so far out in the ocean you can get humpback whales, or from January to May you get gray whales, as well."
No comments:
Post a Comment